First off, thanks to everyone for the support. I could not have done it without you. To the three guiding spirits, Daddy Kirkmeister, Fast Enough and Mad A: your positive energy and timely aid powered me through, Thank you! Thanks to Laniak the Maniak, Dixie Cat and Sultan for meeting me early on, nourishing me and loaning some crucial gear for the adventure. I promise to get all things borrowed back in one piece and smelling clean!
It’s obvious, but I’ll reiterate how perfect the conditions were for these five days. We were truly blessed to have had such a weather window. Many times during the adventure, I thought back to Cave Dog’s account of non-stop soakage and relentless fog. After getting just a taste of such nastiness in the Blacks, I respect the Dog Team’s tremendous perseverance more than ever. I could not have made it in those conditions.
The rain is falling in Marion. The window has closed. The adventure is over, but I’m still putting the pieces together. Other than a slightly swollen knee and foot, I feel pretty good. I’ll be resting, but also working on a report with some stats, pictures and video from the start. Stay tuned and thanks again for all your support!
Living the Dream:
SB6K Summary:
Day 1: 68 miles | 20:30 | 14,000’ climb | 12 peaks
Day 2: 55 miles | 18:15 | 11,000’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 3: 50 miles | 18:00 | 11,500’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 4: 55 miles | 19:10 | 16,000’ climb | 5 peaks
Day 5: 40 miles | 13:50 | 11,000’ climb | 9 peaks
Total: 268 miles | 4d, 14:38 | 63,500’ climb | 40 peaks
For the last several days, I’ve been hobbling around on a bum knee, trying to make sense of things. It’s been difficult to convey my thoughts. I’d been intrigued (and intimidated) by the challenge of linking all forty 6,000’ peaks in the Southeast by foot since 2003. Finally, last week, I had the opportunity to go for it. With everything in its right place, this adventure exceeded my hopes and expectations.
Having experienced the challenge first-hand, I have a renewed respect for the SB6K pioneers. Cave Dog’s 2003 performance remains the greatest of all time. While I tried to follow in his footsteps, I acknowledge that there are discrepancies between our routes. It would therefore be extremely hard for me to claim a record. I believe Cave Dog would agree that the overall spirit of this challenge was upheld. Perhaps that is what matters most. What follows is a lengthy first-person account of a five day journey across the rooftop of the Southern Appalachians:
1. | CLINGMANS | 5:45 AM | 5/26/10
On Tuesday afternoon, my dad and I made our way to the Smokies in a ’76 VW camper. The Clingmans Road was closed, so dad biked in our overnight gear while I hiked/jogged the eight miles of road to the summit from Newfound Gap. Billowy clouds threatened to, but never produced rain. All in all, it was a beautiful evening underneath the Clingmans tower. There were a few other hikers camped out on the summit. My dad and I retired early after a veggie sub dinner.
The alarm went off at 5:20 AM. I ate two bananas and got dressed. I was nervous and excited about beginning such a massive run. I had long since embraced the healthy attitude of just “trying the best I can” and not getting too overwhelmed, which is easier said than done. I helped dad pack and we then made our way in the foggy twilight to the top of the Clingmans tower. After a couple obligatory photos, I set off down the ramp and AT eight miles to Newfound. Dad biked down with the gear to meet me for breakfast.
2. | COLLINS | 6:31 AM | 5/26/10
The AT was in great shape after a rough winter. The sun had yet to break above the horizon, so I hurried along with a headlamp guiding the way. The song of birds and smell of spruce invigorated me. In 46 minutes, I was on the highest point of Mt. Collins. I put away the light and pulled out Carl’s GPS to verify my location and then used my cell phone as a voice recorder to document the time. I was pleased to be on track with Cave Dog’s pace. My goal was to keep up with him on his amazing first day through the Smokies.
3. | KEPHART | 8:26 AM | 5/26/10
I hit my stride in the lit up forest and arrived at the mostly vacant parking lot of Newfound Gap eight minutes ahead of schedule at 7:30 AM. Dad had coffee and oatmeal ready for me. I wolfed down breakfast and packed for the long haul across the Smokies. Dad joined me for an out and back journey to LeConte on the Boulevard trail. First we had to climb the AT out of the gap. We power-hiked our way to the Jump Off where I made a quick side trip to summit Kephart.
4. | LECONTE | 9:40 AM | 5/26/10
After caching my hydration pack at the junction, dad and I continued down the beautiful Boulevard at a quick pace. Dad had wanted to run this trail after I showed him some photos from my April recon. I was certainly glad to have the company to break up the isolation of this section and it afforded me an opportunity to take some photos and videos for documentation. (A camera was a luxury item I couldn’t justify carrying the whole way). We were both enthused by the pleasant weather. In just over an hour, I was standing beside the tall rock cairn on the summit of LeConte. I had lost a little time to Cave Dog, but wasn’t too worried at this point. Dad and I found it easy to log a negative split on our return to the AT.
5. | SEQUOYAH | 1:26 PM | 5/26/10
Dad and I parted ways at the AT. He would return to Newfound, drive to Cherokee to resupply and on to Mile High Campground, the finish for day 1. Meanwhile, I had well over a marathon of rugged trail and off-trail trekking before I’d possibly see anyone for support along Balsam Mtn. Gap Road. I felt confident that I had enough supplies to make it (having learned my lesson in April). Near Charlies Bunion, I spent some time to call Adam with an update. The long trek to Sequoyah was wonderfully uneventful. The GPS helped me target the ideal location to begin the short bushwhack to the highest point.
6. | CHAPMAN | 2:01 PM | 5/26/10
Back down to the trail, I had to cover a very short distance before bushwhacking to the summit of Chapman. This peak can be very easy to miss without the help of a GPS. The climb was short, but I was having flashbacks to an unpleasant experience in April as a light rain began to fall. I made my way down to Tricorner Shelter for a late lunch.
7. | GUYOT | 3:10 PM | 5/26/10
I met two hikers hiding in the shelter from the rain. This was all so eerily familiar to me. I pulled out a “Dobies” bagel sandwich (thawed veggie patty), refilled on water and cabled my pack for the out and back to Guyot and Old Black. The bewildered hikers cheered me on as I took off into the rain. I pushed hard to Guyot, but missed the best route. I fought my way through a terrible section of blowdowns before reaching the summit. I hadn’t lost much time, but my spirit had been deflated.
8. | OLD BLACK | 3:47 PM | 5/26/10
On the descent back to the trail, I had to fight my way through the same terrible section of blowdowns. This time, I banged my right knee on a fallen spruce. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but this injury would haunt me for the remainder of the challenge and beyond. I was having a terrible experience descending Guyot and losing time to Cave Dog. On the AT, I regrouped with some food and water before taking the short side trip to summit Old Black. I took a couple deep breaths and hit the trail running.
9. | MARKS KNOB | 4:53 PM | 5/26/10
In very little time, I was back at Tricorner shelter, refilling on water and packing up. I was in and out, focused on reclaiming some lost ground. The rain had abated, but thunder rumbled in the distance. Of all the peaks in the Smokies, I worried most about Marks Knob. The summit is about a mile off the main trail and can be very difficult to reach. I cached my pack at the Balsam Mtn. trail and proceeded to Marks. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier the route was to follow than it had been in April with snow on the ground. I made quick work of the numerous blowdowns; the rain held off and my disposition improved dramatically.
10. | YONAGUSKA | 5:28 PM | 5/26/10
I was amazed to be able to run parts of the route from Marks Knob back to the Balsam Mtn. trail. At this point, I knew I’d be able to catch up to Cave Dog. I grabbed my pack and proceeded up the short, but steep bushwhack to Yonaguska. I’d been neglecting to take in calories for the last hour and a half as I sprinted to catch up. In the early stages of bonking, I made the navigational error of descending Yonaguska too far to the west. I popped out on the Balsam Mtn. trail between Tricorner and the turn-off for Marks Knob.
11. | LUFTEE KNOB | 6:24 PM | 5/26/10
Having already lost a few minutes because of this mistake, I decided it was time to feed my brain and body. I dug out another sandwich and settled into a fast walk along the trail as I ate on the go. I drained the last of my water and resumed a trot to reach the junction with the flagged route up Luftee. The climb to the summit was again much easier than Guyot and my hopes of getting to the gravel road at Pin Oak Gap around dark had returned. Back on the trail, I jogged to the Mt. Sterling trail and wasted little time refilling at the creek below the route up Big Cat.
12. | BIG CATALOOCHEE | 7:40 PM | 5/26/10
As in April, I found the off-trail ascent of Big Cat to be a pleasant one. I was at the broad summit fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and elated to be finished with the day’s peaks. With over an hour of quality daylight remaining, I quickly returned to the trail and ran on past the Laurel Gap Shelter toward Pin Oak Gap. The skies were clearing and an orange evening light warmed me. My body felt good and I estimated my arrival at Mollie Gap to be around 1 AM.
I was at Pin Oak Gap, over 50 miles in, just after 9 PM. Soon, a nearly full moon rose over Spruce Mtn. negating the need for a headlamp. I ran along the windy gravel road for miles and miles. Shortly after refilling in a nettle-lined creek, I saw a light bouncing down the road towards me. Dad had biked in from where the paved Balsam Mtn. Road was closed at Mollie Gap to the gravel road and then run from there to meet me with supplies.
In addition to tasty treats, dad brought news that Carl was at the Flat Creek trailhead and would run with me to camp. I munched a pimento cheese sandwich, guzzled some juice and felt rejuvenated. Carl regaled me with stories all the way back to camp. We arrived a little after 1 AM. I took a hot shower, put on my pajamas, ate some soup, crawled into my sleeping bag and slept till dawn.
13. | YELLOW FACE | 8:20 AM | 5/27/10
After getting dressed, grabbing my handheld bottle and gobbling a banana, I left camp at 6:20 AM. My right knee was stiff and I felt far from fresh. After a mile, I was moving well along the parkway and running most uphill sections. Dad and Carl drove ahead of me and met with Lily and Uwharrie (!) at the trailhead to Yellow Face. Dad had an egg and bagel breakfast ready with coffee. I opted to first summit Yellow Face with Carl and Uwharrie before indulging in the goodness. We reached the summit nearly thirty minutes ahead of schedule.
14. | WATERROCK KNOB | 9:09 AM | 5/27/10
The second day was shaping up to be just as pleasant if not more so than the first. Back at the parkway, we sat down to breakfast and went over the rest of the day’s itinerary. Lily helped me pack for the Plott Balsams. She and Uwharrie joined me for the stroll up Waterrock. We reached the summit at the end of the well-maintained trail and called in to Adam for an update and to give him a better ETA for Balsam Gap.
15. | LYN LOWERY | 10:00 AM | 5/27/10
The vague trail connecting the summits of Waterrock to Lyn Lowery was much easier to follow without the snow. After a quick farewell, Lily turned back at Browning Knob. Uwharrie and I made fast progress along the ridge to the summit of Lyn Lowery arriving 17 minutes ahead of schedule. Having learned the best route from earlier recon, we accessed the steep trail past the gigantic cross.
16. | PLOTT BALSAM | 10:37 AM | 5/27/10
I drained the rest of my water before leaving the fire road for the ridge up to Plott Balsam. Uwharrie and I had been running most of the way and I was happy to see that we were 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the summit. I knew there was a nice creek and long downhill awaiting. Upon returning to the fire road, we gutted out a trot till gravity could take over. I refilled at the creek and doused myself with ice cold water, which helped to wake me up for the next several miles of fast turnover.
We ran all the way down to the Orchards Overlook, arriving around noon. Dad and Lily were there and fed me a big lunch. We discussed how our lead would likely increase over the next stretch where the Dog Team had suffered a few logistical setbacks. Adam was en route to pace me through this section, but had yet to reach Balsam Gap. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze blowing in the peaceful parking lot. No sooner had dad suggested a nap than I was conked out on the top bunk.
17. | RICHLAND BALSAM | 7:48 PM | 5/27/10
Dad woke me from my unexpected slumber and I quickly packed and got ready. Uwharrie and I trotted down to Balsam Gap to meet Adam at 1:25 PM. We had lost our lead, but I was awake, recharged and in good company to make the push into the Great Balsams. Adam called this stretch the Bermuda Triangle and coached me through an effective fueling and hydration strategy. At Cowee Overlook, just past 7 PM, Uwharrie, Adam and I emerged from a long 18 mile trail section. We pushed on for Richland Balsam.
18. | REINHART KNOB | 8:20 PM | 5/27/10
We tagged the summit of Richland and turned on the afterburners to get to the notoriously difficult “chute” route up Reinhart before dark. One major setback is bushwhacking at night. Reinhart is a relatively short, but difficult off-trail ascent. If we could get up and back down before dark, all the better! Adam hopped on the bike with supplies and met me further down the parkway. We were headed up the slippery chute with time to spare. I was amazed at our 32 minute split between these two summits. We proceeded back on to the trail to Haywood Gap as darkness set in.
19. | HARDY | 11:23 PM | 5/27/10
At Haywood Gap, my body ached from head to toe. Adam fed me a homemade burrito, which hit the spot. I downed some “vitamin I” with a couple sips of beer. Without Adam’s uplifting spirit I would have called it a day, but onwards we pushed over Hardy and down to NC-215. The full moon came up and the joy of the journey returned along this beautiful wilderness stretch. We reached the summit of Hardy and maintained a great pace down to NC-215 by 12:35 AM, some eight and a half hours ahead of schedule. I was zipped up in my sleeping bag and sound asleep (so I’m told) by 1 AM.
20. | CHESTNUT BALD | 7:17 AM | 5/28/10
By this third day, the routine had been fairly well established: wake up by dawn, eat a couple bananas, grab a light pack, go about eight to ten miles, and then eat a bigger meal. This allowed dad time to get set up while enabling me to get going as early as possible. Adam and I were on our way at 6:20 this morning up the MST to a bushwhack of Chestnut Bald. We were on the summit by 7:17 AM. As quickly as we had made it to the top, we were headed back down to the trail.
21. | SAM KNOB | 8:29 AM | 5/28/10
Adam and I refilled with water at Flat Laurel Creek and made our way through the gorgeous vaccinium corymbosum high country of the Great Balsams to the double summit of Sam Knob. This was Adam’s first time on top and although some clouds lingered, the views did not disappoint. The weather was unpredictable: it would either turn into another beautiful partly cloudy day, or start raining; no way to tell. We ran all the way down to the Sam Knob parking lot at FS-816 where the crew awaited.
22. | BLACK BALSAM | 9:30 AM | 5/28/10
SB6K veteran Anne “Dixie Cat” Lundblad joined Lily, dad and Uwharrie at the mobile aid station at Sam Knob parking lot and brought some delicious homemade chocolate chip muffins and breakfast burritos to share. I was happy to see everyone and took the time to refuel, rehydrate and pack for the solo 20-mile journey through Shining Rock Wilderness. Adam caught a ride with Anne back to Asheville. With a full tank, I tackled the climb to the bald summit of Black Balsam, which was in and out of the clouds.
23. | TENNENT | 9:50 AM | 5/28/10
The 6ers along this stretch always bring back memories of our annual winter solstice adventure on the Art Loeb. By recalling the treacherous snowy conditions of 2009, I could appreciate the relative ease with which I now made my way through the rutted trails to Tennent. In twenty minutes, I was over the top and headed down the back side toward Ivestor Gap. On my way down, I bumped into a large group of backpackers.
24. | GRASSY COVE TOP | 10:25 AM | 5/28/10
The abandoned section of trail to the summit of Grassy Cove was in much better condition than I anticipated. This was my first time on top and officially my last 6er yet to be climbed of all forty. However, I didn’t spend much time for reflection on the summit as many more miles needed to be covered before I could rest.
25. | SHINING ROCK | 11:01 AM | 5/28/10
The skies were darkening over Black Balsam. I wanted to make it up and down Shining Rock before the thunder and lightning struck. I made the mistake of charging right past the spring at Shining Rock Gap and on up to the summit. I ate a snack and drained the rest my bottle on top of the white quartz outcrop. My plan of refilling from some run-off further down the Art Loeb fell through. The water source I had in mind was hardly flowing and I had to push on to Cold Mtn. without any water.
26. | COLD MTN. | 12:53 PM | 5/28/10
A light rain came and went, and kept me cool for a short period of time. Despite the downhill terrain to Deep Gap, I was feeling parched. I met a trail guide from Brevard who advised that I get water further down the Art Loeb past Deep Gap rather than the unreliable spring near the top of Cold Mountain. Earlier in the morning, Anne told me that the cats couldn’t find this spring in 2009. Wanting to foolishly bag the summit as quickly as possible, I pushed on past Deep Gap without stopping for water.
Of course I didn’t find any water on Cold Mountain. I left my pack at the dry spring and made a painful trip up and back down to the summit before 1 PM. Desperately in need of water, I retreated as quickly as I could. I hobbled about a quarter mile down the trail to the first trickle of a stream. My bottle filled slowly. I guzzled and refilled a couple times. I could feel the life reentering my body. I returned to Deep Gap and on up past the Narrows. I was at Shining Rock Gap and running down the trail toward Big East Fork by 3 PM.
Dad came running in to meet me. By this point, I was rehydrated from numerous creeks along the descent and feeling good. I opted to run to US-276 before stopping to eat. Dad fixed me a bagel and pimento cheese sandwich and I drank some juice at the trailhead. It was 4:11 PM. After about 20 minutes, I pushed on up the road to the MST. Back on the trail, my pace accelerated on smooth terrain.
I made it to Pisgah Inn by 7:26 PM. My goal to continue down Shut-In a ways toward Asheville before calling it a day remained intact. Mohammed came out to pace me at NC-151. He had brought a delicious pizza from Marcos and I enjoyed a couple slices as we prepared for a push through the night. Because the parkway was closed due to the threat of a landslide north of this junction, dad would have to take a detour to the other side where Lily and Uwharrie were already waiting. Cell phone reception was spotty and tensions were high as we improvised plans for the end of day three.
Within ten miles of night-slogging, it was clear that the wind had left my sails. The French Broad would have to wait till the next morning. I needed sleep. By 12:20 AM, Mohammed and I made our way along a side trail to Chestnut Cove Overlook where dad, Lily and Uwharrie were parked. Mohammed caught a ride with Lily and Uwharrie back to Adam’s house in Asheville while dad and I crashed out for the night at the overlook.
27. | CRAGGY DOME | 7:13 PM | 5/29/10
As expected, the morning brought a renewed energy. I got going around 6:30 AM with a handheld bottle and a couple bananas. By 7:45 AM, I had arrived at the bridge across the French Broad River. Dad was cooking up eggs and had some Krispy Kremes and coffee ready. Shortly after my arrival, Lily and Uwharrie pulled up and joined us for breakfast. After a hearty meal, the crew split up. Dad would run some errands in town while I continued plugging along the MST to the Folk Art Center.
Lily and Uwharrie ran in to meet me on the trail from US-25A. Here I got to refill my water and eat some salty snacks. I was happy to move quickly through the lowlands of Asheville before the heat of the day. Next stop was the Folk Art Center by 11:24 AM. Dad, Lily, Uwharrie, Adam and Suzanne were all there to meet me. I took an impromptu sponge bath and was treated to a delicious and nutritious lunch including a spinach, tomato and egg salad sandwich. We were all happy to be headed to higher elevations.
Adam and Suzanne started pacing me around Rattlesnake Lodge. The breeze picked up and temperature dropped the higher we climbed. Still, the sun continued to shine. Although the terrain over Lane Pinnacle was challenging, jovial company and gorgeous weather kept my spirits soaring. We arrived to Bee Tree Gap by 5:15 PM. I ate another spinach and egg salad sandwich. Adam and Uwharrie continued with me on the trail over the Craggy Gardens. Adam had to return to Asheville, but left me musically inspired for the push to Mitchell.First I’d have to scale a few other 6ers en route.
By the time Uwharrie and I arrived to the Graybeard Overlook at 7 PM, it had clouded up and started to rain. Up to this point, I’d been running without a shirt and was starting to get cold. Neither dad nor Lily was at the overlook and I was without my cell phone. Miraculously, Lily pulled up right as I was about to head off for the summit of Craggy Dome. She loaned me her rain jacket and went to go find dad while Uwharrie and I made the short out and back trip to the summit. By the time we returned, dad and Lily were both in the parking lot and had soup ready.
28. | BLACKSTOCK | 10:05 PM | 5/29/10
My goal of making it to the Gibbes cut-off before dark was not going to happen. In fact, darkness would set in before Balsam Gap. On top of that, it was foggy and rainy. I donned a headlamp, long sleeve shirt and Lily’s rain jacket (my jacket had gone missing somewhere in the camper). Lily would meet me at Balsam and Steppes Gaps while dad would drive the camper up to the summit of Mitchell before the gate closed. Uwharrie and I made the most of the remaining daylight over Bullhead Mountain.
Lily had another warm pot of delicious soup ready for me at Balsam Gap by 9:30 PM. Uwharrie was relieved of her pacing duties and I continued on solo into the night toward Steppes Gap doubling up on headlamps. The fog was thick and navigation along the trail proved tricky. I dreaded the upcoming off-trail traverse over Potato Knob to Mt. Gibbes, but tried to stay focused on the task of climbing Blackstock. I was at the summit shortly after 10 PM.
29. | MT. GIBBES | 11:29 PM | 5/29/10
To my relief, I remembered that I had used the GPS a few weeks ago to mark a waypoint at the Gibbes cut-off. This helped me find the precise point to leave the MST for Potato Knob. Unfortunately it then became a struggle to find the best route to the summit. I picked my way through a dark and foggy spruce forest. Soon I was on the boundary trail headed toward Clingmans Peak. I was tired, but moving fairly well considering my ability to only see about two feet in front of me.
At the summit of Mt. Gibbes, I considered backtracking to the radio tower road and following it down to Steppes Gap. I knew the boundary trail beyond the summit would be the fastest way to go, but if I lost it, I’d be in trouble. I decided to take the risk and soon lost the trail. I spent over thirty minutes fumbling in thick laurels and fog among blowdowns and cliffs. By the time I made it to the gap, it was after midnight and I was completely exhausted.
30. | HALLBACK | 12:35 AM | 5/30/10
Lily was relieved to see me. She had some hot tea ready. I sat in the backseat of the car, munched some cookies and sipped tea. I was as ready as I’d ever be for the final push to Mitchell. Lily and Uwharrie hiked with me. Lily carried her overnight pack. On the way, I made a short and uneventful bushwhack up the gentle peak of Mt. Hallback. Once reconnected with Lily and Uwharrie on the trail, we told stories to keep each other awake. Lily swapped her down jacket with me for her rain jacket. The added warmth helped to cheer me up and took my mind off my suffering.
31. | MITCHELL | 1:38 AM | 5/30/10
At the summit and Old Mitchell trail junction, Lily and Uwharrie descended to the camper to alert dad of our arrival while I made the quarter mile roundtrip up and back down the observation platform. By now, the clouds had partially lifted and the moonlit views from the summit were amazing. I lingered for a minute to take it all in. A wave of sleepiness urged me to jog down to the camper and get into my sleeping bag. By 2 AM, I was zipped up and passed out.
32. | CRAIG | 7:11 AM | 5/30/10
Dawn came all too soon. As reluctant as I was to get up, I knew the end was near. We packed up by 6:30 AM. Dad and Lily joined Uwharrie and me as we made our way from the parking lot toward the summit of Mt. Craig, over four hours ahead of Cave Dog’s pace. It looked like we could expect another beautiful day. As I loosened up for this rugged half-marathon peakbagging session along the Black Mtn. Crest Trail, spirits began to soar. All four of us paused for some photos on the summit of Craig before parting ways.
33. | BALSAM CONE | 7:41 AM | 5/30/10
The split times between peaks would give me an idea of our pace to Bowlens Creek. I was pleased to reach Balsam Cone within thirty minutes of leaving Mt. Craig’s summit, considerably ahead of schedule. I munched a leftover Dixie Cat chocolate chip muffin and guzzled some water. After recording my time on the cell, Uwharrie and made tracks to Potato Hill.
34. | POTATO HILL | 8:03 AM | 5/30/10
Uwharrie and I made it to the summit of Potato Hill. I recorded the time and noticed that we were still moving at a much faster rate across the Crest. On our way down to Deep Gap, we passed some overnight hikers on their way out. At the gap, we came upon more campers. We pushed right on through without stopping and up toward Winter Star.
35. | WINTER STAR | 8:43 AM | 5/30/10
At the summit of Winter Star, I munched a snack and thought back to our hypothermic recon of the Crest last November. Conditions were much better today. My thoughts returned to the end, just 35 miles away. Tears began to well up in my eyes. It was too early to get emotional; I gave Uwharrie a pat on the head and kept trucking. If we could nail the next two bushwhacks, we could be down to the road before noon. That sounded good.
36. | GIBBS | 9:42 AM | 5/30/10
Uwharrie and had a long slog across the rugged crest before we could make the short jaunt up and back down Gibbs Mountain. At various points along the trail, we could look back toward Mitchell and marvel at the majestic boreal spine of the Appalachians. It was great to be here, but I longed to be finished with the trek. I rechecked the GPS. Soon we found the flagging and were at the top of our 36th summit.
37. | CELO | 10:09 AM | 5/30/10
We returned back down to the trail and over to the gap before Celo Knob. In little time, we found our way up to the summit. The forest was open and the climbing was easy. Using the GPS, we descended directly to the west and intersected the trail down to Bowlens Creek. I stopped to refill at the first creek, mixed up some energy drink, and let gravity take over. Uwharrie and I were running past some day hikers at the trailhead and out to the road by 11:15 AM.
Neither dad nor Lily was parked at the trailhead. I pulled out my cell phone and called in to Lily. She was in downtown Burnsville cutting up some kiwi slices for me and informed me that the camper should already be there. Just as I listened over the phone, I caught sight of the mobile aid station parked fifty yards ahead. Uwharrie hopped into the van and I accelerated toward Burnsville, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline.
Dad and Lily met me at five-mile intervals along this twenty-mile road stretch. At each shady stop, I doused my head with ice cold water, drank some juice and ate a sandwich with boiled potatoes. At 2:35 PM, I sprinted across the bridge over the North Toe and through a railroad crossing to beat a train. This maneuver saved me a good ten minutes of standing around in the punishing sun, but I’m pretty sure it pissed off the conductor.
At Red Hill, I switched out my road shoes and poured cold water over my throbbing head. I worried that the heat would slow my reaction time. With a bunch of Sunday drivers out and about, it was downright dangerous to be running on the road. Lily surprised me with a pint of ice cream. I ate about half of it and guzzled some water. Dad informed me that Adam was on his way to run with me to the finish. I found a renewed energy to push on. “You’re almost there. Enjoy it,” dad said.
38. | ROAN HIGH BLUFF | 6:50 PM | 5/30/10
Adam began pacing me at Fork Mtn. Road. and ran the last few miles of pavement with me up to Broad Branch Road. The High Bluff loomed ahead. Although we were still getting blasted by the sun down below, it looked like clouds were building up over the Roan. Adam patiently followed me as I recalled the route through the forest up the old stage coach road, which I had scouted some six months ago. We found our way and were soon among the spruce trees and cool breezes. By the time we reached the High Bluff, clouds had engulfed us and it had become downright chilly.
39. | ROAN HIGH KNOB | 7:23 PM | 5/30/10
We ran along the aptly named Cloudland trail back to the AT. Separated since day one, Adam and I rejoined this familiar footpath and made our way quickly to the High Knob shelter. We ran to the summit rock. I checked for cell service to reach Lily and dad in Carvers Gap in order to give them a head start to the final summit. The plan of pushing right through Carvers Gap to the finish had been hatched, but no luck connecting. Back down to the AT, we ran on.
40. | GRASSY RIDGE | 8:23 PM | 5/30/10
At around 8 PM, we stormed through Carvers Gap. Conditions had deteriorated to fog, wind and intermittent rain. My brain was fried, but I could trust Adam’s ability to pack a bag of clothes and headlamps for the unavoidable hike back down. I grabbed a banana and refilled my bottle. Lily took off ahead, worried that she wouldn’t be fast enough. We didn’t see her until the final turn-off for the summit where she waited on us. Fast enough indeed!
Adam soon caught me hiking along with Uwharrie. We started running. The trail seemed to go on and on. Finally we were on the last climb. I ran to the summit and tagged the rock: done. All the tears I’d fought back over the last couple days didn’t surface. This is how it was last year immediately following the BMT. I quickly donned my rain jacket and hood. We posed for some finish photos and then it was time to hike out. Eager to get back to warmth, beer, chips and salsa, we managed a jog for much of the way. Dad welcomed us back to the camper just as it got dark. Arriving to safety, I quickly deteriorated into a crippled mass of bones. Mission accomplished.
I couldn’t have asked for better support on this wonderful adventure: many thanks to mom, dad, Lily, Adam, Suzanne, Carl, Anne and Mohammed for helping me succeed!
Pre[r]amble:
First off, thanks to everyone for the support. I could not have done it without you. To the three guiding spirits, Daddy Kirkmeister, Fast Enough and Mad A: your positive energy and timely aid powered me through, Thank you! Thanks to Laniak the Maniak, Dixie Cat and Sultan for meeting me early on, nourishing me and loaning some crucial gear for the adventure. I promise to get all things borrowed back in one piece and smelling clean!
It’s obvious, but I’ll reiterate how perfect the conditions were for these five days. We were truly blessed to have had such a weather window. Many times during the adventure, I thought back to Cave Dog’s account of non-stop soakage and relentless fog. After getting just a taste of such nastiness in the Blacks, I respect the Dog Team’s tremendous perseverance more than ever. I could not have made it in those conditions.
The rain is falling in Marion. The window has closed. The adventure is over, but I’m still putting the pieces together. Other than a slightly swollen knee and foot, I feel pretty good. I’ll be resting, but also working on a report with some stats, pictures and video from the start. Stay tuned and thanks again for all your support!
Living the Dream:
SB6K Summary:
Day 1: 68 miles | 20:30 | 14,000’ climb | 12 peaks
Day 2: 55 miles | 18:15 | 11,000’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 3: 50 miles | 18:00 | 11,500’ climb | 7 peaks
Day 4: 55 miles | 19:10 | 16,000’ climb | 5 peaks
Day 5: 40 miles | 13:50 | 11,000’ climb | 9 peaks
Total: 268 miles | 4d, 14:38 | 63,500’ climb | 40 peaks
For the last several days, I’ve been hobbling around on a bum knee, trying to make sense of things. It’s been difficult to convey my thoughts. I’d been intrigued (and intimidated) by the challenge of linking all forty 6,000’ peaks in the Southeast by foot since 2003. Finally, last week, I had the opportunity to go for it. With everything in its right place, this adventure exceeded my hopes and expectations.
Having experienced the challenge first-hand, I have a renewed respect for the SB6K pioneers. Cave Dog’s 2003 performance remains the greatest of all time. While I tried to follow in his footsteps, I acknowledge that there are discrepancies between our routes. It would therefore be extremely hard for me to claim a record. I believe Cave Dog would agree that the overall spirit of this challenge was upheld. Perhaps that is what matters most. What follows is a lengthy first-person account of a five day journey across the rooftop of the Southern Appalachians:
1. | CLINGMANS | 5:45 AM | 5/26/10
On Tuesday afternoon, my dad and I made our way to the Smokies in a ’76 VW camper. The Clingmans Road was closed, so dad biked in our overnight gear while I hiked/jogged the eight miles of road to the summit from Newfound Gap. Billowy clouds threatened to, but never produced rain. All in all, it was a beautiful evening underneath the Clingmans tower. There were a few other hikers camped out on the summit. My dad and I retired early after a veggie sub dinner.
The alarm went off at 5:20 AM. I ate two bananas and got dressed. I was nervous and excited about beginning such a massive run. I had long since embraced the healthy attitude of just “trying the best I can” and not getting too overwhelmed, which is easier said than done. I helped dad pack and we then made our way in the foggy twilight to the top of the Clingmans tower. After a couple obligatory photos, I set off down the ramp and AT eight miles to Newfound. Dad biked down with the gear to meet me for breakfast.
2. | COLLINS | 6:31 AM | 5/26/10
The AT was in great shape after a rough winter. The sun had yet to break above the horizon, so I hurried along with a headlamp guiding the way. The song of birds and smell of spruce invigorated me. In 46 minutes, I was on the highest point of Mt. Collins. I put away the light and pulled out Carl’s GPS to verify my location and then used my cell phone as a voice recorder to document the time. I was pleased to be on track with Cave Dog’s pace. My goal was to keep up with him on his amazing first day through the Smokies.
3. | KEPHART | 8:26 AM | 5/26/10
I hit my stride in the lit up forest and arrived at the mostly vacant parking lot of Newfound Gap eight minutes ahead of schedule at 7:30 AM. Dad had coffee and oatmeal ready for me. I wolfed down breakfast and packed for the long haul across the Smokies. Dad joined me for an out and back journey to LeConte on the Boulevard trail. First we had to climb the AT out of the gap. We power-hiked our way to the Jump Off where I made a quick side trip to summit Kephart.
4. | LECONTE | 9:40 AM | 5/26/10
After caching my hydration pack at the junction, dad and I continued down the beautiful Boulevard at a quick pace. Dad had wanted to run this trail after I showed him some photos from my April recon. I was certainly glad to have the company to break up the isolation of this section and it afforded me an opportunity to take some photos and videos for documentation. (A camera was a luxury item I couldn’t justify carrying the whole way). We were both enthused by the pleasant weather. In just over an hour, I was standing beside the tall rock cairn on the summit of LeConte. I had lost a little time to Cave Dog, but wasn’t too worried at this point. Dad and I found it easy to log a negative split on our return to the AT.
5. | SEQUOYAH | 1:26 PM | 5/26/10
Dad and I parted ways at the AT. He would return to Newfound, drive to Cherokee to resupply and on to Mile High Campground, the finish for day 1. Meanwhile, I had well over a marathon of rugged trail and off-trail trekking before I’d possibly see anyone for support along Balsam Mtn. Gap Road. I felt confident that I had enough supplies to make it (having learned my lesson in April). Near Charlies Bunion, I spent some time to call Adam with an update. The long trek to Sequoyah was wonderfully uneventful. The GPS helped me target the ideal location to begin the short bushwhack to the highest point.
6. | CHAPMAN | 2:01 PM | 5/26/10
Back down to the trail, I had to cover a very short distance before bushwhacking to the summit of Chapman. This peak can be very easy to miss without the help of a GPS. The climb was short, but I was having flashbacks to an unpleasant experience in April as a light rain began to fall. I made my way down to Tricorner Shelter for a late lunch.
7. | GUYOT | 3:10 PM | 5/26/10
I met two hikers hiding in the shelter from the rain. This was all so eerily familiar to me. I pulled out a “Dobies” bagel sandwich (thawed veggie patty), refilled on water and cabled my pack for the out and back to Guyot and Old Black. The bewildered hikers cheered me on as I took off into the rain. I pushed hard to Guyot, but missed the best route. I fought my way through a terrible section of blowdowns before reaching the summit. I hadn’t lost much time, but my spirit had been deflated.
8. | OLD BLACK | 3:47 PM | 5/26/10
On the descent back to the trail, I had to fight my way through the same terrible section of blowdowns. This time, I banged my right knee on a fallen spruce. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but this injury would haunt me for the remainder of the challenge and beyond. I was having a terrible experience descending Guyot and losing time to Cave Dog. On the AT, I regrouped with some food and water before taking the short side trip to summit Old Black. I took a couple deep breaths and hit the trail running.
9. | MARKS KNOB | 4:53 PM | 5/26/10
In very little time, I was back at Tricorner shelter, refilling on water and packing up. I was in and out, focused on reclaiming some lost ground. The rain had abated, but thunder rumbled in the distance. Of all the peaks in the Smokies, I worried most about Marks Knob. The summit is about a mile off the main trail and can be very difficult to reach. I cached my pack at the Balsam Mtn. trail and proceeded to Marks. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier the route was to follow than it had been in April with snow on the ground. I made quick work of the numerous blowdowns; the rain held off and my disposition improved dramatically.
10. | YONAGUSKA | 5:28 PM | 5/26/10
I was amazed to be able to run parts of the route from Marks Knob back to the Balsam Mtn. trail. At this point, I knew I’d be able to catch up to Cave Dog. I grabbed my pack and proceeded up the short, but steep bushwhack to Yonaguska. I’d been neglecting to take in calories for the last hour and a half as I sprinted to catch up. In the early stages of bonking, I made the navigational error of descending Yonaguska too far to the west. I popped out on the Balsam Mtn. trail between Tricorner and the turn-off for Marks Knob.
11. | LUFTEE KNOB | 6:24 PM | 5/26/10
Having already lost a few minutes because of this mistake, I decided it was time to feed my brain and body. I dug out another sandwich and settled into a fast walk along the trail as I ate on the go. I drained the last of my water and resumed a trot to reach the junction with the flagged route up Luftee. The climb to the summit was again much easier than Guyot and my hopes of getting to the gravel road at Pin Oak Gap around dark had returned. Back on the trail, I jogged to the Mt. Sterling trail and wasted little time refilling at the creek below the route up Big Cat.
12. | BIG CATALOOCHEE | 7:40 PM | 5/26/10
As in April, I found the off-trail ascent of Big Cat to be a pleasant one. I was at the broad summit fifteen minutes ahead of schedule and elated to be finished with the day’s peaks. With over an hour of quality daylight remaining, I quickly returned to the trail and ran on past the Laurel Gap Shelter toward Pin Oak Gap. The skies were clearing and an orange evening light warmed me. My body felt good and I estimated my arrival at Mollie Gap to be around 1 AM.
I was at Pin Oak Gap, over 50 miles in, just after 9 PM. Soon, a nearly full moon rose over Spruce Mtn. negating the need for a headlamp. I ran along the windy gravel road for miles and miles. Shortly after refilling in a nettle-lined creek, I saw a light bouncing down the road towards me. Dad had biked in from where the paved Balsam Mtn. Road was closed at Mollie Gap to the gravel road and then run from there to meet me with supplies.
In addition to tasty treats, dad brought news that Carl was at the Flat Creek trailhead and would run with me to camp. I munched a pimento cheese sandwich, guzzled some juice and felt rejuvenated. Carl regaled me with stories all the way back to camp. We arrived a little after 1 AM. I took a hot shower, put on my pajamas, ate some soup, crawled into my sleeping bag and slept till dawn.
13. | YELLOW FACE | 8:20 AM | 5/27/10
After getting dressed, grabbing my handheld bottle and gobbling a banana, I left camp at 6:20 AM. My right knee was stiff and I felt far from fresh. After a mile, I was moving well along the parkway and running most uphill sections. Dad and Carl drove ahead of me and met with Lily and Uwharrie (!) at the trailhead to Yellow Face. Dad had an egg and bagel breakfast ready with coffee. I opted to first summit Yellow Face with Carl and Uwharrie before indulging in the goodness. We reached the summit nearly thirty minutes ahead of schedule.
14. | WATERROCK KNOB | 9:09 AM | 5/27/10
The second day was shaping up to be just as pleasant if not more so than the first. Back at the parkway, we sat down to breakfast and went over the rest of the day’s itinerary. Lily helped me pack for the Plott Balsams. She and Uwharrie joined me for the stroll up Waterrock. We reached the summit at the end of the well-maintained trail and called in to Adam for an update and to give him a better ETA for Balsam Gap.
15. | LYN LOWERY | 10:00 AM | 5/27/10
The vague trail connecting the summits of Waterrock to Lyn Lowery was much easier to follow without the snow. After a quick farewell, Lily turned back at Browning Knob. Uwharrie and I made fast progress along the ridge to the summit of Lyn Lowery arriving 17 minutes ahead of schedule. Having learned the best route from earlier recon, we accessed the steep trail past the gigantic cross.
16. | PLOTT BALSAM | 10:37 AM | 5/27/10
I drained the rest of my water before leaving the fire road for the ridge up to Plott Balsam. Uwharrie and I had been running most of the way and I was happy to see that we were 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the summit. I knew there was a nice creek and long downhill awaiting. Upon returning to the fire road, we gutted out a trot till gravity could take over. I refilled at the creek and doused myself with ice cold water, which helped to wake me up for the next several miles of fast turnover.
We ran all the way down to the Orchards Overlook, arriving around noon. Dad and Lily were there and fed me a big lunch. We discussed how our lead would likely increase over the next stretch where the Dog Team had suffered a few logistical setbacks. Adam was en route to pace me through this section, but had yet to reach Balsam Gap. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze blowing in the peaceful parking lot. No sooner had dad suggested a nap than I was conked out on the top bunk.
17. | RICHLAND BALSAM | 7:48 PM | 5/27/10
Dad woke me from my unexpected slumber and I quickly packed and got ready. Uwharrie and I trotted down to Balsam Gap to meet Adam at 1:25 PM. We had lost our lead, but I was awake, recharged and in good company to make the push into the Great Balsams. Adam called this stretch the Bermuda Triangle and coached me through an effective fueling and hydration strategy. At Cowee Overlook, just past 7 PM, Uwharrie, Adam and I emerged from a long 18 mile trail section. We pushed on for Richland Balsam.
18. | REINHART KNOB | 8:20 PM | 5/27/10
We tagged the summit of Richland and turned on the afterburners to get to the notoriously difficult “chute” route up Reinhart before dark. One major setback is bushwhacking at night. Reinhart is a relatively short, but difficult off-trail ascent. If we could get up and back down before dark, all the better! Adam hopped on the bike with supplies and met me further down the parkway. We were headed up the slippery chute with time to spare. I was amazed at our 32 minute split between these two summits. We proceeded back on to the trail to Haywood Gap as darkness set in.
19. | HARDY | 11:23 PM | 5/27/10
At Haywood Gap, my body ached from head to toe. Adam fed me a homemade burrito, which hit the spot. I downed some “vitamin I” with a couple sips of beer. Without Adam’s uplifting spirit I would have called it a day, but onwards we pushed over Hardy and down to NC-215. The full moon came up and the joy of the journey returned along this beautiful wilderness stretch. We reached the summit of Hardy and maintained a great pace down to NC-215 by 12:35 AM, some eight and a half hours ahead of schedule. I was zipped up in my sleeping bag and sound asleep (so I’m told) by 1 AM.
20. | CHESTNUT BALD | 7:17 AM | 5/28/10
By this third day, the routine had been fairly well established: wake up by dawn, eat a couple bananas, grab a light pack, go about eight to ten miles, and then eat a bigger meal. This allowed dad time to get set up while enabling me to get going as early as possible. Adam and I were on our way at 6:20 this morning up the MST to a bushwhack of Chestnut Bald. We were on the summit by 7:17 AM. As quickly as we had made it to the top, we were headed back down to the trail.
21. | SAM KNOB | 8:29 AM | 5/28/10
Adam and I refilled with water at Flat Laurel Creek and made our way through the gorgeous vaccinium corymbosum high country of the Great Balsams to the double summit of Sam Knob. This was Adam’s first time on top and although some clouds lingered, the views did not disappoint. The weather was unpredictable: it would either turn into another beautiful partly cloudy day, or start raining; no way to tell. We ran all the way down to the Sam Knob parking lot at FS-816 where the crew awaited.
22. | BLACK BALSAM | 9:30 AM | 5/28/10
SB6K veteran Anne “Dixie Cat” Lundblad joined Lily, dad and Uwharrie at the mobile aid station at Sam Knob parking lot and brought some delicious homemade chocolate chip muffins and breakfast burritos to share. I was happy to see everyone and took the time to refuel, rehydrate and pack for the solo 20-mile journey through Shining Rock Wilderness. Adam caught a ride with Anne back to Asheville. With a full tank, I tackled the climb to the bald summit of Black Balsam, which was in and out of the clouds.
23. | TENNENT | 9:50 AM | 5/28/10
The 6ers along this stretch always bring back memories of our annual winter solstice adventure on the Art Loeb. By recalling the treacherous snowy conditions of 2009, I could appreciate the relative ease with which I now made my way through the rutted trails to Tennent. In twenty minutes, I was over the top and headed down the back side toward Ivestor Gap. On my way down, I bumped into a large group of backpackers.
24. | GRASSY COVE TOP | 10:25 AM | 5/28/10
The abandoned section of trail to the summit of Grassy Cove was in much better condition than I anticipated. This was my first time on top and officially my last 6er yet to be climbed of all forty. However, I didn’t spend much time for reflection on the summit as many more miles needed to be covered before I could rest.
25. | SHINING ROCK | 11:01 AM | 5/28/10
The skies were darkening over Black Balsam. I wanted to make it up and down Shining Rock before the thunder and lightning struck. I made the mistake of charging right past the spring at Shining Rock Gap and on up to the summit. I ate a snack and drained the rest my bottle on top of the white quartz outcrop. My plan of refilling from some run-off further down the Art Loeb fell through. The water source I had in mind was hardly flowing and I had to push on to Cold Mtn. without any water.
26. | COLD MTN. | 12:53 PM | 5/28/10
A light rain came and went, and kept me cool for a short period of time. Despite the downhill terrain to Deep Gap, I was feeling parched. I met a trail guide from Brevard who advised that I get water further down the Art Loeb past Deep Gap rather than the unreliable spring near the top of Cold Mountain. Earlier in the morning, Anne told me that the cats couldn’t find this spring in 2009. Wanting to foolishly bag the summit as quickly as possible, I pushed on past Deep Gap without stopping for water.
Of course I didn’t find any water on Cold Mountain. I left my pack at the dry spring and made a painful trip up and back down to the summit before 1 PM. Desperately in need of water, I retreated as quickly as I could. I hobbled about a quarter mile down the trail to the first trickle of a stream. My bottle filled slowly. I guzzled and refilled a couple times. I could feel the life reentering my body. I returned to Deep Gap and on up past the Narrows. I was at Shining Rock Gap and running down the trail toward Big East Fork by 3 PM.
Dad came running in to meet me. By this point, I was rehydrated from numerous creeks along the descent and feeling good. I opted to run to US-276 before stopping to eat. Dad fixed me a bagel and pimento cheese sandwich and I drank some juice at the trailhead. It was 4:11 PM. After about 20 minutes, I pushed on up the road to the MST. Back on the trail, my pace accelerated on smooth terrain.
I made it to Pisgah Inn by 7:26 PM. My goal to continue down Shut-In a ways toward Asheville before calling it a day remained intact. Mohammed came out to pace me at NC-151. He had brought a delicious pizza from Marcos and I enjoyed a couple slices as we prepared for a push through the night. Because the parkway was closed due to the threat of a landslide north of this junction, dad would have to take a detour to the other side where Lily and Uwharrie were already waiting. Cell phone reception was spotty and tensions were high as we improvised plans for the end of day three.
Within ten miles of night-slogging, it was clear that the wind had left my sails. The French Broad would have to wait till the next morning. I needed sleep. By 12:20 AM, Mohammed and I made our way along a side trail to Chestnut Cove Overlook where dad, Lily and Uwharrie were parked. Mohammed caught a ride with Lily and Uwharrie back to Adam’s house in Asheville while dad and I crashed out for the night at the overlook.
27. | CRAGGY DOME | 7:13 PM | 5/29/10
As expected, the morning brought a renewed energy. I got going around 6:30 AM with a handheld bottle and a couple bananas. By 7:45 AM, I had arrived at the bridge across the French Broad River. Dad was cooking up eggs and had some Krispy Kremes and coffee ready. Shortly after my arrival, Lily and Uwharrie pulled up and joined us for breakfast. After a hearty meal, the crew split up. Dad would run some errands in town while I continued plugging along the MST to the Folk Art Center.
Lily and Uwharrie ran in to meet me on the trail from US-25A. Here I got to refill my water and eat some salty snacks. I was happy to move quickly through the lowlands of Asheville before the heat of the day. Next stop was the Folk Art Center by 11:24 AM. Dad, Lily, Uwharrie, Adam and Suzanne were all there to meet me. I took an impromptu sponge bath and was treated to a delicious and nutritious lunch including a spinach, tomato and egg salad sandwich. We were all happy to be headed to higher elevations.
Adam and Suzanne started pacing me around Rattlesnake Lodge. The breeze picked up and temperature dropped the higher we climbed. Still, the sun continued to shine. Although the terrain over Lane Pinnacle was challenging, jovial company and gorgeous weather kept my spirits soaring. We arrived to Bee Tree Gap by 5:15 PM. I ate another spinach and egg salad sandwich. Adam and Uwharrie continued with me on the trail over the Craggy Gardens. Adam had to return to Asheville, but left me musically inspired for the push to Mitchell.First I’d have to scale a few other 6ers en route.
By the time Uwharrie and I arrived to the Graybeard Overlook at 7 PM, it had clouded up and started to rain. Up to this point, I’d been running without a shirt and was starting to get cold. Neither dad nor Lily was at the overlook and I was without my cell phone. Miraculously, Lily pulled up right as I was about to head off for the summit of Craggy Dome. She loaned me her rain jacket and went to go find dad while Uwharrie and I made the short out and back trip to the summit. By the time we returned, dad and Lily were both in the parking lot and had soup ready.
28. | BLACKSTOCK | 10:05 PM | 5/29/10
My goal of making it to the Gibbes cut-off before dark was not going to happen. In fact, darkness would set in before Balsam Gap. On top of that, it was foggy and rainy. I donned a headlamp, long sleeve shirt and Lily’s rain jacket (my jacket had gone missing somewhere in the camper). Lily would meet me at Balsam and Steppes Gaps while dad would drive the camper up to the summit of Mitchell before the gate closed. Uwharrie and I made the most of the remaining daylight over Bullhead Mountain.
Lily had another warm pot of delicious soup ready for me at Balsam Gap by 9:30 PM. Uwharrie was relieved of her pacing duties and I continued on solo into the night toward Steppes Gap doubling up on headlamps. The fog was thick and navigation along the trail proved tricky. I dreaded the upcoming off-trail traverse over Potato Knob to Mt. Gibbes, but tried to stay focused on the task of climbing Blackstock. I was at the summit shortly after 10 PM.
29. | MT. GIBBES | 11:29 PM | 5/29/10
To my relief, I remembered that I had used the GPS a few weeks ago to mark a waypoint at the Gibbes cut-off. This helped me find the precise point to leave the MST for Potato Knob. Unfortunately it then became a struggle to find the best route to the summit. I picked my way through a dark and foggy spruce forest. Soon I was on the boundary trail headed toward Clingmans Peak. I was tired, but moving fairly well considering my ability to only see about two feet in front of me.
At the summit of Mt. Gibbes, I considered backtracking to the radio tower road and following it down to Steppes Gap. I knew the boundary trail beyond the summit would be the fastest way to go, but if I lost it, I’d be in trouble. I decided to take the risk and soon lost the trail. I spent over thirty minutes fumbling in thick laurels and fog among blowdowns and cliffs. By the time I made it to the gap, it was after midnight and I was completely exhausted.
30. | HALLBACK | 12:35 AM | 5/30/10
Lily was relieved to see me. She had some hot tea ready. I sat in the backseat of the car, munched some cookies and sipped tea. I was as ready as I’d ever be for the final push to Mitchell. Lily and Uwharrie hiked with me. Lily carried her overnight pack. On the way, I made a short and uneventful bushwhack up the gentle peak of Mt. Hallback. Once reconnected with Lily and Uwharrie on the trail, we told stories to keep each other awake. Lily swapped her down jacket with me for her rain jacket. The added warmth helped to cheer me up and took my mind off my suffering.
31. | MITCHELL | 1:38 AM | 5/30/10
At the summit and Old Mitchell trail junction, Lily and Uwharrie descended to the camper to alert dad of our arrival while I made the quarter mile roundtrip up and back down the observation platform. By now, the clouds had partially lifted and the moonlit views from the summit were amazing. I lingered for a minute to take it all in. A wave of sleepiness urged me to jog down to the camper and get into my sleeping bag. By 2 AM, I was zipped up and passed out.
32. | CRAIG | 7:11 AM | 5/30/10
Dawn came all too soon. As reluctant as I was to get up, I knew the end was near. We packed up by 6:30 AM. Dad and Lily joined Uwharrie and me as we made our way from the parking lot toward the summit of Mt. Craig, over four hours ahead of Cave Dog’s pace. It looked like we could expect another beautiful day. As I loosened up for this rugged half-marathon peakbagging session along the Black Mtn. Crest Trail, spirits began to soar. All four of us paused for some photos on the summit of Craig before parting ways.
33. | BALSAM CONE | 7:41 AM | 5/30/10
The split times between peaks would give me an idea of our pace to Bowlens Creek. I was pleased to reach Balsam Cone within thirty minutes of leaving Mt. Craig’s summit, considerably ahead of schedule. I munched a leftover Dixie Cat chocolate chip muffin and guzzled some water. After recording my time on the cell, Uwharrie and made tracks to Potato Hill.
34. | POTATO HILL | 8:03 AM | 5/30/10
Uwharrie and I made it to the summit of Potato Hill. I recorded the time and noticed that we were still moving at a much faster rate across the Crest. On our way down to Deep Gap, we passed some overnight hikers on their way out. At the gap, we came upon more campers. We pushed right on through without stopping and up toward Winter Star.
35. | WINTER STAR | 8:43 AM | 5/30/10
At the summit of Winter Star, I munched a snack and thought back to our hypothermic recon of the Crest last November. Conditions were much better today. My thoughts returned to the end, just 35 miles away. Tears began to well up in my eyes. It was too early to get emotional; I gave Uwharrie a pat on the head and kept trucking. If we could nail the next two bushwhacks, we could be down to the road before noon. That sounded good.
36. | GIBBS | 9:42 AM | 5/30/10
Uwharrie and had a long slog across the rugged crest before we could make the short jaunt up and back down Gibbs Mountain. At various points along the trail, we could look back toward Mitchell and marvel at the majestic boreal spine of the Appalachians. It was great to be here, but I longed to be finished with the trek. I rechecked the GPS. Soon we found the flagging and were at the top of our 36th summit.
37. | CELO | 10:09 AM | 5/30/10
We returned back down to the trail and over to the gap before Celo Knob. In little time, we found our way up to the summit. The forest was open and the climbing was easy. Using the GPS, we descended directly to the west and intersected the trail down to Bowlens Creek. I stopped to refill at the first creek, mixed up some energy drink, and let gravity take over. Uwharrie and I were running past some day hikers at the trailhead and out to the road by 11:15 AM.
Neither dad nor Lily was parked at the trailhead. I pulled out my cell phone and called in to Lily. She was in downtown Burnsville cutting up some kiwi slices for me and informed me that the camper should already be there. Just as I listened over the phone, I caught sight of the mobile aid station parked fifty yards ahead. Uwharrie hopped into the van and I accelerated toward Burnsville, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline.
Dad and Lily met me at five-mile intervals along this twenty-mile road stretch. At each shady stop, I doused my head with ice cold water, drank some juice and ate a sandwich with boiled potatoes. At 2:35 PM, I sprinted across the bridge over the North Toe and through a railroad crossing to beat a train. This maneuver saved me a good ten minutes of standing around in the punishing sun, but I’m pretty sure it pissed off the conductor.
At Red Hill, I switched out my road shoes and poured cold water over my throbbing head. I worried that the heat would slow my reaction time. With a bunch of Sunday drivers out and about, it was downright dangerous to be running on the road. Lily surprised me with a pint of ice cream. I ate about half of it and guzzled some water. Dad informed me that Adam was on his way to run with me to the finish. I found a renewed energy to push on. “You’re almost there. Enjoy it,” dad said.
38. | ROAN HIGH BLUFF | 6:50 PM | 5/30/10
Adam began pacing me at Fork Mtn. Road. and ran the last few miles of pavement with me up to Broad Branch Road. The High Bluff loomed ahead. Although we were still getting blasted by the sun down below, it looked like clouds were building up over the Roan. Adam patiently followed me as I recalled the route through the forest up the old stage coach road, which I had scouted some six months ago. We found our way and were soon among the spruce trees and cool breezes. By the time we reached the High Bluff, clouds had engulfed us and it had become downright chilly.
39. | ROAN HIGH KNOB | 7:23 PM | 5/30/10
We ran along the aptly named Cloudland trail back to the AT. Separated since day one, Adam and I rejoined this familiar footpath and made our way quickly to the High Knob shelter. We ran to the summit rock. I checked for cell service to reach Lily and dad in Carvers Gap in order to give them a head start to the final summit. The plan of pushing right through Carvers Gap to the finish had been hatched, but no luck connecting. Back down to the AT, we ran on.
40. | GRASSY RIDGE | 8:23 PM | 5/30/10
At around 8 PM, we stormed through Carvers Gap. Conditions had deteriorated to fog, wind and intermittent rain. My brain was fried, but I could trust Adam’s ability to pack a bag of clothes and headlamps for the unavoidable hike back down. I grabbed a banana and refilled my bottle. Lily took off ahead, worried that she wouldn’t be fast enough. We didn’t see her until the final turn-off for the summit where she waited on us. Fast enough indeed!
Adam soon caught me hiking along with Uwharrie. We started running. The trail seemed to go on and on. Finally we were on the last climb. I ran to the summit and tagged the rock: done. All the tears I’d fought back over the last couple days didn’t surface. This is how it was last year immediately following the BMT. I quickly donned my rain jacket and hood. We posed for some finish photos and then it was time to hike out. Eager to get back to warmth, beer, chips and salsa, we managed a jog for much of the way. Dad welcomed us back to the camper just as it got dark. Arriving to safety, I quickly deteriorated into a crippled mass of bones. Mission accomplished.
I couldn’t have asked for better support on this wonderful adventure: many thanks to mom, dad, Lily, Adam, Suzanne, Carl, Anne and Mohammed for helping me succeed!